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Undergraduate Placement Year

Boost your career prospects with an undergraduate placement year

On some of of undergraduate courses, students can opt to undertake a placement year after their first two years of study if they are studying full-time on one of the following courses:

Please note that this option is not available to students who require a Student Visa to study with us.

  • Who is eligible for a placement year?

    Any student, studying full-time on one of the placement year undergraduate courses who does not require a Student Visa is eligible to undertake a placement year.

  • When will the placement year be?

    Students who opt to take a placement year will begin their placement after the first two years of study on their course. They will then return to Birkbeck to complete their final year of study following their placement year.

    Placement years are equivalent to a year of academic study and normally last between 30 and 52 weeks.

    Placements can be full- or part-time, however, for part-time placements a member of Birkbeck’s placement staff would need to be confident that the placement would enable students to meet the learning outcomes of the year.

  • Why take a placement year?

    Placement years can boost your career prospects, enrich your CV, help you gain practical work-based skills and experience, and build your professional network, all before you graduate.

  • How do students organise their placement year?

    Students wishing to undertake a placement year will be responsible for finding their own placement by searching for and approaching potential placement providers with the support and guidance of Birkbeck’s Placement Coordinator and the Placement Year module convenor. We recommend this search begins at least a year before the planned placement start date. Placements must be secured and agreed by the end of a student’s second year.

  • What support will Birkbeck offer to students searching for a placement?

    A range of support will be provided to students searching for a placement:

    • All students intending to take a placement year will need to undertake a pre-placement module in year 2, which will enhance their employability skills and help them develop strong applications for potential placement providers.
    • Our Careers and Enterprise service run advice sessions and can provide access to resources to support a student’s search for a placement.
    • The Placement Year Module Convenor will review placements secured by students, ensure the provider is suitable and sign an agreement alongside the placement provider and student, ahead of the start of the placement.

  • What contact will students have with Birkbeck whilst on a placement year?

    During their placement year, students will continue to be registered at Birkbeck and will be able to access all the resources Birkbeck students have available to them, such as the Library, IT services, and student wellbeing and resource services.

    Students will have regular check-ins with Birkbeck academic staff to discuss how their placement is going and will have clear points of contact both at Birkbeck and at their placement organisation, should they have any queries or concerns during the placement.

  • Is there assessment during a placement year?

    Yes. Students will be required to take assessments for the Work Placement module to successfully complete the placement year. Details of the Work Placement module assessment can be found on individual course pages.

  • What about fees and funding for students on a placement year?

    Students on placement years will pay tuition fees to Birkbeck during the year. This will be lower than the tuition fee for years 1, 2 and 4 of their course. Full details of tuition fees for the course are detailed on each individual course page.

    Students on placement years may be eligible for funding during their placement year and should check with their funding provider.

    Students undertaking placement years are encouraged to seek paid placement opportunities. Any student wishing to undertake an unpaid placement will need to discuss this with a member of Birkbeck’s placement year staff.